Latest news with #Kalisher
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘I Did This for Gaza': Witness Reveals Suspected Jewish Museum Killer's Chilling Words After Shooting
A woman shared her disturbing encounter with the suspected gunman who killed two Israeli diplomats Wednesday night at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. during an appearance on 'Fox & Friends' the following morning. Katie Kalisher told the news show Thursday how she bumped into the suspect, 31-year-old Elias Rodriguez, moments after hearing about 10 to 15 gunshots. At first, the suspect was 'playing dumb,' Kalisher said, wondering what type of museum it was and asking 'do you think that's why they did it?' after being told it was a Jewish museum. The suspect was 'covered in rain' and appeared 'very distressed,' Kalisher added, while also telling bystanders to call the police. Soon after, Kalisher said the man reached into his bag, pulled out a keffiyeh, and admitted to murdering the two victims, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim. 'I did it. I did this for Gaza,' Rodriguez told her. He then shouted 'free Palestine' as he was being arrested. You can hear her recounting of the chilling meeting below, via Fox News' X account: Several details on the suspect have emerged since the shooting, including that he showed an affinity for a socialism and far-left politics; more recently, he has been interested in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. He has also ripped Amazon in the past, saying the company's 'whitening of Seattle is structurally racist and a direct danger to all workers who live in that city.' The suspect added: 'So do we in Chicago and all across the country want a nation of cities dominated and occupied by massive corporations where only the rich and white can live and the vast majority of us must live on the edges of the city and society living in deeper and deeper poverty?' In an X post from earlier on Wednesday that appears to belong to the suspect, he shared a lengthy diatribe on his hatred of Israel, which he called a 'genocidal apartheid state.' 'I am glad that today at least there are many Americans for which the action will be highly legible and, in some funny way, the only sane thing to do,' the screed concluded. The two victims were Israeli embassy staff members. Lischinsky, who was 30-years-old, was set to propose to 26-year-old Milgrim in the near future; he had just purchased an engagement ring, days before the couple were murdered. The post 'I Did This for Gaza': Witness Reveals Suspected Jewish Museum Killer's Chilling Words After Shooting | Video appeared first on TheWrap.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘I Did This for Gaza': Witness Reveals Suspected Jewish Museum Killer's Chilling Words After Shooting
A woman shared her disturbing encounter with the suspected gunman who killed two Israeli diplomats Wednesday night at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. during an appearance on 'Fox & Friends' the following morning. Katie Kalisher told the news show Thursday how she bumped into the suspect, 31-year-old Elias Rodriguez, moments after hearing about 10 to 15 gunshots. At first, the suspect was 'playing dumb,' Kalisher said, wondering what type of museum it was and asking 'do you think that's why they did it?' after being told it was a Jewish museum. The suspect was 'covered in rain' and appeared 'very distressed,' Kalisher added, while also telling bystanders to call the police. Soon after, Kalisher said the man reached into his bag, pulled out a keffiyeh, and admitted to murdering the two victims, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim. 'I did it. I did this for Gaza,' Rodriguez told her. He then shouted 'free Palestine' as he was being arrested. You can hear her recounting of the chilling meeting below, via Fox News' X account: "He reaches into his bag and pulls out a keffiyeh and says to me, 'I did it. I did this for Gaza.'"Katie Kalisher recounts on @foxandfriends the chilling moment she was confronted face-to-face by the alleged suspect in the fatal D.C. shooting of two Israeli embassy staffers. — Fox News (@FoxNews) May 22, 2025 Several details on the suspect have emerged since the shooting, including that he showed an affinity for a socialism and far-left politics; more recently, he has been interested in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. He has also ripped Amazon in the past, saying the company's 'whitening of Seattle is structurally racist and a direct danger to all workers who live in that city.' The suspect added: 'So do we in Chicago and all across the country want a nation of cities dominated and occupied by massive corporations where only the rich and white can live and the vast majority of us must live on the edges of the city and society living in deeper and deeper poverty?' In an X post from earlier on Wednesday that appears to belong to the suspect, he shared a lengthy diatribe on his hatred of Israel, which he called a 'genocidal apartheid state.' 'I am glad that today at least there are many Americans for which the action will be highly legible and, in some funny way, the only sane thing to do,' the screed concluded. The two victims were Israeli embassy staff members. Lischinsky, who was 30-years-old, was set to propose to 26-year-old Milgrim in the near future; he had just purchased an engagement ring, days before the couple were murdered. The post 'I Did This for Gaza': Witness Reveals Suspected Jewish Museum Killer's Chilling Words After Shooting | Video appeared first on TheWrap.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Woman describes encounter with Jewish Museum shooting suspect
A woman who attended an event Wednesday at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., where two Israeli Embassy staff members were shot and killed outside, said she encountered the alleged shooter after the incident. Katie Kalisher said the event at the museum was wrapping up when she heard gunshots. "Then this man comes in … but he was covered in rain and just looking really distressed and scared," Kalisher said. "We were comforting him because we thought that he was just somebody out in the street looking for a safe place to stay because he heard some gunshots." She was unknowingly speaking with Elias Rodriguez, the suspected shooter. "I'm just trying to relax him, and I asked him, 'So, do you like the museum?' And he's kind of playing dumb with me," she said about the interaction. "He goes, 'Oh, what kind of museum is this?' I told him, 'It's a Jewish museum.' He asked, 'Do you think that's why they did this attack' … referring to the rounds that we heard." Kalisher said at first, she didn't make the connection. "Like of course that probably is what happened. Jews are so often the victims of antisemitic attacks like this. But I was like, 'No, I don't think it is,' but like, 'Are you okay?'" At that moment Rodriguez, 30, claimed he was responsible for the attack, Kalisher said. "He reaches into his bag and pulls out a keffiyeh and says, 'I did it. I did it for Gaza.' And, just starts shouting, 'Free Palestine.'" Police then arrested Rodriguez. "Early indicators are that this is an act of targeted violence," Dan Bongino, deputy director of the FBI, said in a post on social media. The event, the AJC ACCESS Young Diplomats Reception, was hosted by the American Jewish Committee. "We were having a panel speak about how groups are working together within Gaza to bring aid there so groups that are Israeli, Jewish, Christian, Muslim from all over the world are working together to be able to provide that much-needed humanitarian aid to the people really in need. And unfortunately, that event was ruined by this horrific attack," Kalisher said. Kalisher said it's not the first time she had personal experience of antisemitism herself. "I've been kicked out of gay nightclubs in D.C. for wearing a star of David necklace, and as a lesbian, it's pretty terrible to be ostracized by my own community," she said. "So unfortunately, this is just something that I've seen before and I'll probably see again. Antisemitism in this country is out of control." The Anti-Defamation League recently released its audit of antisemitic attacks in 2024. It recorded 9,354 antisemitic incidents across the U.S. last year, a 5% increase from 2023 and a 344% increase over the past five years. "It is the highest number on record since ADL began tracking antisemitic incidents 46 years ago," the ADL said in its audit. What we know about the victims Officials have identified the two victims killed in the attack as a couple named Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim. In a post on X, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said, "We are shocked and horrified this morning by the news of the brutal terrorist attack that claimed the lives of two of our Embassy staff members in Washington — Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim. May their memory be a blessing." The two, who met while living in Jerusalem, were planning to get engaged, according to Yechiel Leiter, Israel's ambassador to the U.S. "No words can express the depth of our grief and horror at this devastating loss," the Israeli Embassy said in a statement on social media. "Our hearts are with their families, and the embassy will be by their side during this terrible time." Trump confronts South African president during White House meeting, repeats genocide claims Trump takes questions during meeting with South African president Rubio, Jayapal have fiery exchange about Afrikaner refugee's antisemitic tweet, student visas
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Musicians regroup after LA fires took guitars, gear, studios
By Lisa Richwine LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A piano teacher lost two Steinway pianos in the wildfires that torched parts of Los Angeles in January. One film and TV composer's studio burned to the ground, and a folk rock band had most of its equipment turned to ashes. They are among the thousands of people in the music business working to recover from the fires that destroyed not only their homes but also the instruments, equipment and recording spaces that artists use to earn a living. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Dan Kalisher, a pedal steel guitar player and producer, had his Altadena home burn down along with the recording studio he built in a garage. He said he lost about $100,000 worth of gear including some 15 guitars plus microphones, amplifiers, keyboards and more. "I did manage to save a few guitars but I lost everything else," said Kalisher, who has been featured on songs by Sabrina Carpenter and Grace Potter and toured with acts such as Noah Cyrus. Many items had sentimental value. One was a plastic flute recorder that Kalisher learned to play in grade school and would give to his young daughter to play with. Another was an acoustic guitar that his dad had bought in the 1970s. Kalisher also lost instruments that helped define him as a musician. "There were guitars that I had saved up all my money for, and had dreamed about owning and then finally got, and it just shaped the way that I played music," Kalisher said. "It was definitely painful to lose all that stuff." Typical homeowners insurance limits coverage of musical instruments unless a policyholder buys additional protection. Even with coverage, several musicians said the reimbursement was not sufficient to replace what was lost. Altadena, the town on the east side of Los Angeles that was hit hard by the fires, was home to many musicians, singers, producers and engineers. On Kalisher's block alone, "there were just so many musicians with their own studios, drummers, violin players, composers, all kinds of different disciplines within music, that suffered massive losses," he said. DAWES SUFFERS STEEP LOSS Among others affected were brothers Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith, members of the folk rock band Dawes. Griffin Goldsmith's home went up in flames, as did Taylor Goldsmith's studio, where much of the band's equipment was stored. Dawes played at the FireAid benefit concert in January and at February's Grammy Awards ceremony, which also raised funds to help musicians and others recover from the disaster. In other relief efforts, a musical couple who lost their home started a registry where people can list the instruments and gear they lost and donors can fund replacements. A longtime music publicist circulated a spreadsheet of hundreds of GoFundMe pages for people in the business. Guitar maker Fender and other companies have provided free replacement instruments. Kalisher has started to work again, with donated instruments, from a space at his in-laws' home in San Diego. "It felt really good to, a month later, finally be able to get back into it," he said. Elie Rizk, co-founder of Los Angeles area record label Good Boy Records, also wanted to help. He offered artists the chance to use his label's recording space and its equipment for free. "People lost their studios, lost their sanctuaries, their places of creativity," Rizk said. "Anyone can come through and just make music here in a safe space." Singer-songwriters, rappers, folk musicians and others have used the facility, Rizk said, and the space is booked through March. One of them was singer Calysta, who had roughly two weeks to finish an EP when the wildfires struck. The studio where she had been recording was located within an evacuation zone, making it inaccessible as she was up against her deadline. "It definitely put stress on me," Calysta said. "And when I'm stressed out, it's very hard for me to just sit and create while trying to figure out what to do, or how can I go from here? How can I still make this happen?""I'm so grateful that I just came across this studio," she added, "and was able to take a breather and be able to still create while all this chaos is going on."
Reuters
20-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Reuters
Musicians regroup after LA fires took guitars, gear, studios
Summary Thousands of musicians lost homes, instruments One guitar player lost $100,000 worth of gear Donors offer studio space, other aid LOS ANGELES, Feb 20 (Reuters) - A piano teacher lost two Steinway pianos in the wildfires that torched parts of Los Angeles in January. One film and TV composer's studio burned to the ground, and a folk rock band had most of its equipment turned to ashes. They are among the thousands of people in the music business working to recover from the fires that destroyed not only their homes but also the instruments, equipment and recording spaces that artists use to earn a living. Dan Kalisher, a pedal steel guitar player and producer, had his Altadena home burn down along with the recording studio he built in a garage. He said he lost about $100,000 worth of gear including some 15 guitars plus microphones, amplifiers, keyboards and more. "I did manage to save a few guitars but I lost everything else," said Kalisher, who has been featured on songs by Sabrina Carpenter and Grace Potter and toured with acts such as Noah Cyrus. Many items had sentimental value. One was a plastic flute recorder that Kalisher learned to play in grade school and would give to his young daughter to play with. Another was an acoustic guitar that his dad had bought in the 1970s. Kalisher also lost instruments that helped define him as a musician. "There were guitars that I had saved up all my money for, and had dreamed about owning and then finally got, and it just shaped the way that I played music," Kalisher said. "It was definitely painful to lose all that stuff." Typical homeowners insurance limits coverage of musical instruments unless a policyholder buys additional protection. Even with coverage, several musicians said the reimbursement was not sufficient to replace what was lost. Altadena, the town on the east side of Los Angeles that was hit hard by the fires, was home to many musicians, singers, producers and engineers. On Kalisher's block alone, "there were just so many musicians with their own studios, drummers, violin players, composers, all kinds of different disciplines within music, that suffered massive losses," he said. DAWES SUFFERS STEEP LOSS Among others affected were brothers Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith, members of the folk rock band Dawes. Griffin Goldsmith's home went up in flames, as did Taylor Goldsmith's studio, where much of the band's equipment was stored. Dawes played at the FireAid benefit concert in January and at February's Grammy Awards ceremony, which also raised funds to help musicians and others recover from the disaster. In other relief efforts, a musical couple who lost their home started a registry where people can list the instruments and gear they lost and donors can fund replacements. A longtime music publicist circulated a spreadsheet of hundreds of GoFundMe pages for people in the business. Guitar maker Fender and other companies have provided free replacement instruments. Kalisher has started to work again, with donated instruments, from a space at his in-laws' home in San Diego. "It felt really good to, a month later, finally be able to get back into it," he said. Elie Rizk, co-founder of Los Angeles area record label Good Boy Records, also wanted to help. He offered artists the chance to use his label's recording space and its equipment for free. "People lost their studios, lost their sanctuaries, their places of creativity," Rizk said. "Anyone can come through and just make music here in a safe space." Singer-songwriters, rappers, folk musicians and others have used the facility, Rizk said, and the space is booked through March. One of them was singer Calysta, who had roughly two weeks to finish an EP when the wildfires struck. The studio where she had been recording was located within an evacuation zone, making it inaccessible as she was up against her deadline. "It definitely put stress on me," Calysta said. "And when I'm stressed out, it's very hard for me to just sit and create while trying to figure out what to do, or how can I go from here? How can I still make this happen?" "I'm so grateful that I just came across this studio," she added, "and was able to take a breather and be able to still create while all this chaos is going on."
